


Falling

by setmeonfireplease



Series: The Story of the Tucks [2]
Category: Tuck Everlasting - Miller/Tysen/Shear & Federle
Genre: Jesse dies, Uh . . ., but if you don't like blood then idk, but not rlly, idk what I'm saying anymore, sort of, there's descriptions of blood but nothing too much in my opinion, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 04:11:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7344385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/setmeonfireplease/pseuds/setmeonfireplease
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a shriek - it's a noise unlike any other - and Miles turns around just in time to see Jesse plummet from his precariously high spot in the tree to the ground far below.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second part out of five.

There's a shriek - it's a noise unlike any other - and Miles turns around just in time to see Jesse plummet from his precariously high spot in the tree to the ground far below.

He lands on his head, the branch that broke from his weight lands on him for emphasis.

Miles freezes, just for a moment, but it feels like an eternity.

Jesse is lying on the ground, unconscious. His chest isn't moving. Jesse isn't moving, and that's all Miles can focus on. That and the blood.

Miles is frozen, and then he's not.

He runs to Jesse and drops unceremoniously to his knees.

Jesse isn’t breathing.

Jesse isn’t breathing.

 _Jesse isn’t breathing_.

Miles gathers him up in his arms, pulls him close till he’s practically in his lap. His blond hair is nearly as red as Ma’s now.

Oh God, what would happen to Ma? What would she say? What would she do? Jesse was her baby and he was Pa’s favorite. And now Jesse was dead.

Miles doesn't realize he's crying until he sees the tears drop onto Jesse’s body - the body he seems to be rocking back and forth now. He doesn't even feel like he's in his own body anymore. He feels like he's watching from the sidelines, and this is happening to someone else.

But it isn't happening to someone else.

It's happening to him.

He can't believe this is happening to him.

He feels like he may vomit. He feels like he can't breathe.

“Jesse, Jesse, Jesse,” He keeps murmuring it under his breath, a mantra he can't control. He needs to get someone, needs to tell someone, but he can't bring himself to move.

“What’s taking so long? Miles? What’s wrong?” Rose is walking towards him, and he can’t find it within himself to turn around and warn her away. He should, but he can’t.

“Oh my God! Jesse! What . . . oh my God . . . what happened?” Rose can hardly speak. Miles doesn’t respond. He just keeps rocking, and crying, and murmuring.

“Miles! What happened to Jesse?” Rose is nearly shouting now, has been for a few moments. She needs Miles to answer. Miles needs to answer.

“He . . . he fell. I wasn’t paying attention, and the branch, it snapped. And then he fell. And now there’s all this blood and he’s not moving or breathing and he’s dead Rose. Oh my God Jesse’s dead.” Miles releases another sob, shuts his eyes tight and cries some more.

“No . . . no . . . my God. Thomas! Thomas come out here! No stay on the porch! Don’t come any closer!”

“What happened?” Miles can hear Thomas call out from behind him. He tries to shift slightly to make sure that Thomas can’t see Jesse. He can’t see Jesse like this.

“Go to your grandparents’ house and get them! Quickly!” Rose says, avoiding answering his question.

“What? Why? What’s going on?” Thomas sounds panicked.

“Go Thomas! Now!” Rose shouts. There’s no answer, so Miles assumes that Thomas has gone.

“Miles . . .”

“He’s gone. I should have been paying attention. I shouldn’t have turned my back. I shouldn’t have yelled. I shouldn’t have rushed him. I shouldn’t have let him climb that high . . . I shouldn’t have . . . I should have . . .” His grip on Jesse is tightening.

“Miles this isn’t your fault. You cannot blame yourself,” Rose tries to reason. Her voice is firm yet kind.

“Miles look at me.” Miles can’t. He can’t take his eyes off of Jesse. He’s so small. Jesse had always been short and skinny. Pa always said he was as easy to move as a rag doll. Miles never really got what he meant until he had Jesse lying limply in his arms like this.

Logically, Miles knows he shouldn’t blame himself. He knows he shouldn’t. And yet, there’s this overwhelming feeling of guilt within him. It’s filling him up, suffocating him.

It’s his job to protect Jesse. It’s his job to make sure that Jesse never gets too hurt, never gets himself into too dangerous of a situation. And if Jesse did, it’s his job to get him out of it. It’s his job to keep Jesse safe, and Jesse just died right before his eyes.

“Jesse . . . Jesse please. Please. Come back. Please . . . I’ll do anything just please . . . come back.” Miles is nowhere near above begging right now. He knows it’s delusional, and he can feel Rose’s look of pity boring into him. But he can’t stop himself.

“Jesse please . . . just open your eyes. Please, just open your eyes.” Miles’ head is buried in Jesse’s blood soaked hair. He can feel the blood smearing on his face, but he can’t bring himself to care. He’s sobbing so harshly his whole body shakes.

"Please Jesse. Just open your eyes.”

Miles didn’t expect Jesse to actually do it,

**Author's Note:**

> I know they are immortal, but this is sort of my interpretation on how that would work. Personally I feel like if they are in life threatening situations, they'll die for like a few minutes tops and come right back. It's probably super difficult to get them to this point. I've never read the book so I don't know if it's accurate but like this is my version either way.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment and have a wonderful day!


End file.
